The more I have written about church leadership the more critics would email to say I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t tie leadership and the church together so closely. People have said I focus too much on church leadership and not enough on Jesus.
The consistent thing I see for these leaders who lead well is that they love well. The most amazing missional community leaders I’ve seen are the ones that love people well by modeling the love of God to them.
Great leaders are great communicators. Communication certainly includes making a great speech, or for pastors, delivering a compelling sermon.
I’ve seen leaders – whether pastors, politicians or in business – try to take people places, even worthy places, and believe people would follow because they are popular as a leader. What they really needed was leadership trust.
It’s a given that volunteers who teach, lead worship and facilitate small groups are important. We must help church plant volunteers see that every single role in children’s ministry is important.It’s a given that volunteers who teach, lead worship and facilitate small groups are important. We must help church plant volunteers see that every single role in children’s ministry is important.
What is keeping many of these churches from reaching their full potential? In many cases, I think it’s something as simple – but decisive – as the Shepherd-Rancher divide. This is based on the premise that these are the two basic kinds of church leaders — Shepherds and Ranchers.
We had some successes in the five years I pastored there—increased attendance, major structural changes, renewed vision, and healthy leadership — it wasn’t me who saved the church. The church saved me.
Someone once asked me, “What are biggest leadership pet peeves?” I didn’t need to think about it. I said, “When a leader says one thing and does another, or they don’t mean what they say.”
What did friendship mean to me during my years as a pastor? What is your experience at the intersection of leadership and friendship?
Sometimes we solve people’s problems by giving them answers instead of fostering insight. These choices are unhealthy dependencies.
